Saturday Arrest Update

A Jasper man arrested early Saturday evening now faces charges of criminal confinement and sexual battery and possible deportation.

Deputies with the Dubois County Sheriff’s Department were called at around 5 pm Saturday to investigate a possible molestation in the county that allegedly involved a female victim younger than 14. After speaking with the victim and her parents, officers went to speak to a suspect identified as Alex Cruz at a home along North Meridian Road.

Deputies say it was later determined that 27-year old Manuel Zamora-Escobedo of Jasper was the true identity of the man using false identification with the name Alex Cruz.

Authorities booked Zamora-Escobedo into the Dubois County Security Center at 7:30 p.m. on Class C felony counts of criminal confinement and vicarious sexual gratification, a Class D felony count of sexual battery and misdemeanor counts of false informing and possessing a false government identification.

The Sheriff’s Department says an immigration hold was placed on Zamora-Escobedo, meaning the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement is expected to pursue deportation proceedings once he answers to the local charges.